Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, recently revealed that McLaren might field cars in the Daytona 500 in collaboration with Rick Hendrick, the legendary NASCAR team owner.
This potential partnership would bring together two iconic racing teams from different motorsports realms, blending McLaren’s expertise in F1 and IndyCar with Hendrick Motorsports’ NASCAR dominance.
Brown hinted at this possibility during a podcast with Dale Earnhardt Jr., expressing enthusiasm for a potential venture with Hendrick in the future. However, he acknowledged the immense challenges, noting the significant commitment involved in competing at NASCAR’s top levels.
McLaren has collaborated with Hendrick before, particularly with driver Kyle Larson, who has competed in both IndyCar and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600, and this collaboration could be the next step in a broader partnership.
Though Brown is intrigued by NASCAR, he remains cautious due to the complexity and scale of a full-time involvement. Nevertheless, the potential of McLaren entering NASCAR, especially in the prestigious Daytona 500, is generating excitement among fans.
For us, because it’s a massive commitment, right? On the way over here I was asked, where might your relationship with Rick Hendrick go long term? And I don’t know the answer to that other than I’d like to have a relationship with his team forever because they’re awesome. Would we maybe one day put out a car at Daytona with Rick Hendrick? Maybe, I could see something like that
Zak Brown told Dale Earnhardt Jr
This partnership would likely elevate both brands, creating a new cross-series dynamic that hasn’t been seen in NASCAR before.
The synergy between McLaren and Hendrick could result in a formidable presence at Daytona, but Brown remains pragmatic about the hurdles ahead, balancing his enthusiasm with the logistical challenges of such a high-profile venture.
